Cheap, graphene-based solar cells could be just years away | ExtremeTech

Cheap, graphene-based solar cells could be just years away

By James Plafke on December 21, 2012 at 11:28 am

Today’s solar cells are usually made out of silicon that is too expensive to be cost-effective for the everyday consumer because highly purified, turned into crystal, then sliced thin. Because of the cost, researchers have been looking for affordable alternatives, settling on indium tin oxide used inside hybrid or nanostructured solar cells. Though indium tin oxide is becoming more prevalent — it’s used in items likes smartphone touch screens — the indium is still quite expensive. However, by creating a solar cell using everyone’s favorite wonder material, graphene, MIT scientists might have found a cheaper and more malleable alternative to indium tin oxide.